Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Manchester United has helped him overtake Lionel Messi and become Forbes’ highest-paid footballer of 2021.
The two stars made summer moves with Ronaldo leaving Juventus for Manchester United and Messi shockingly departing Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain.
The former took a cut in his wages to facilitate an early exit from Italy back to Old Trafford, while the latter saw the salary he was receiving in Spain halved in his new contract.
That substantial dip means Ronaldo has beat his rival in Forbes’ list of the best-paid players in the world for the 2021/22 season.
He is potentially going to make £91.5m ($125 million) over the course of the campaign. In comparison, Messi could earn himself up to £80.5 million ($110 million), an £11m difference.
Ronaldo’s deal with the Red Devils could net him roughly £51.25m in wages, with the rest of his income coming from endorsements.
Read Also: FC Barcelona Confirms Lionel Messi’s Exit From The Club
With $55 million (£40 million) in his trading income, Ronaldo is one of the highest-paid athletes in the world when it comes to advertising revenue.
Meanwhile, the Argentina captain actually has a higher maximum salary at £54.95m but will only receive £25.6m in sponsorship payments compared to Ronaldo’s £40m.L
Also this season, Messi’s new teammates at Paris Saint-Germain, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappé, rank third and fourth on the Forbes list, respectively.
Only three other active athletes make more money commercially than Ronaldo: Roger Federer ($90 million / £66 million), LeBron James ($65 million / £ 48 million), and Tiger Woods ($60 million / £44 million).
See the full list below;
Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United – $125m
Lionel Messi – PSG – $110m
Neymar – PSG – $95m
Kylian Mbappé – PSG – $43m
Mohamed Salah – Liverpool – $41m
Robert Lewandowski – Bayern Munich – $35m
Andres Iniesta – Vissel Kobe – $35m
Paul Pogba – Manchester United – $34m
Gareth Bale – Real Madrid – $32m
Eden Hazard – Real Madrid – $29m.
